‘Thurgood’ on HBO.

Reminder: For history nuts, bio buffs and ery’one else , “Thurgood”, Laurence Fishburne‘s one-man show about the civil rights activist and Supreme Court Justice premieres tonight on HBO tonight at 9PM. (There’s an encore presentation on February 27th in case you miss it.)

I remember vaguely reading Marshall’s autobiography in junior high, but on my own with little guidance from any educators.  (Not even on days in February.) That said, “Thurgood” will serve as a refresher for some, but for most of my peers it will be a much-needed introduction.

Filmed in front of a live audience at the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater in Washington DC last summer, the 90-minute is a mingling of present-tense narration with a focus on turning points in Marshall’s career and personal life. There will also be some tales from the (child)hood and college day reminisces.

Also key:Fishburne wrote the play. Watch it.

Naima

Naima "Nai" Ramos-Chapman is the Associate Editor at Campus Progress, a dancer with Taurus Broadhurst Dance in D.C., and an aspiring visual artist (she doodles). Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @Naimaramchap.
  • I agree, for me it will be a much-needed introduction because I can’t remember much of the little that I learned about Thurgood Marshall.

    Thanks for posting this and the date it will air.

  • Woman on Wire

    I saw this play when it was on Broadway three years ago. Fishburne is fantastic. Just to clarify, though, he didn’t write the play. It was written by George Stevens, Jr.

  • rikyrah

    I don’t have that cable channel, but will be sure to buy the DVD. thanks for the hat tip.

  • I got to see this show live in DC. It was spectacular – Fishburne is amazing.

    There was a little bit of a strange audience dynamic though. Anytime he mentioned a historical event, the audience gave out a collective “mmm”, as if to say “yes, I recall that from 6th grade civics.” And whenever Thurgood announced some important victory, everyone broke out into applause — it was very “U-S-A!”

    I’m not sure why I found it so strange, but I did.